The building that the E.C.O. Center is housed in is the original freshwater pumping station that opened for the City of Rome in 1893.  This brick structure, located in Ridge Ferry Park, transported water from the Oostanaula River to the filtration complex atop Jackson Hill. The original pumping equipment is still visible from inside the E.C.O. Center which was renovated as part of the 2006 SPLOST package. The renovation of the E.C.O. Center was completed in accordance with LEED standards that evaluated the environmental performance of the building and encouraged sustainable design. This project earned points based on environmentally friendly actions taken during construction and aspects planned for building use, giving the E.C.O. Center its LEED Gold status.